Situation on Iran-Azerbaijan Border Remains Uncertain

Checkpoints on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border in Nakhchivan work in part. According to Turan sources in Nakhchivan on Monday morning , the Iranian side began to pass people , but still does not pass cars, including passenger buses.

To get official information on the situation on the border is not possible. Attempts to call the Border Guard and Customs Service of Azerbaijan failed, as well as attempts to call the Iranian embassy in Baku.

The press service of the embassy said that the responsible persons are employed and the comment will be available "in a few hours."

Recall that on 5 November near the village of Damirchi Sharur in Nakhchivan on the Iran -Azerbaijan border some people fired upon an Azerbaijani tractor. The Azerbaijani side accused the Iranian military of the fire and demanded an explanation. Not having received them, the Azerbaijani authorities closed the nearest border crossing point Shahtakhti. In response, the Iranian side closed since November 7 the checkpoints in Bilasuvar and Julfa. Thus, the transition to Iran from Nakhchivan was completely discontinued. Note that the people of Nakhchivan (cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenia) travel to Azerbaijan by buses and motor vehicles across the territory of Iran. Now they can get in Baku only by aircraft.

This is the first closuer of the border by the Iranian side. Experts do not rule out that the shooting incident with the tractor was associated with the illegal transit of drugs. In any case, most of the drug traffic goes to Azerbaijan from Iran across the land border. -03B-